Metal-plating machine



C. W. EDDY.

Patented June 8, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- ATTURNEY.

C. W. EDDY.

METAL PLATING MACHINE.

A-PPLlcATloN FILEP APR.29, 1919.

1,342,899. Patented June s, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTDR.

C. W. EDDY.

METAL PLATING MACHINE.

APPLLcATxoN FILED APR. 29, |919.

'1 ,342,899. Patented June 8, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 7 Fl f5. 4.

C. W. EDDY. VMETAL PLATING MACHINE. APPLlcATloN FILED APR.29,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTUE.

QW f

ATTDRNEY.

UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

HARLES W. EDDY, 0F EAST PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.'

METAL-PLATING MACHINE.

Application iiied April 29, 1919. serial No. 293,555.

by carrying on the various steps of wash-I ing, coating or plating anddrying the articles in one continuous operation, the articles enteringthe machine at one end in thelr unfinished state Iand discharging at theoppo-r site endwith a metal plate finish without thelintermediary ofmanual handling or contro .The invention further residesin an improvedelectrode arrangement whereby one of the two electrodes employed isdisposed out of the plating solution whereby the 'same will not becomecoated with the solution. Other objects are to improve the washers anddriers for the articles, the invention consisting in` the features ofconstruction ,and the arrangements and combinations of partshereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being had to the accomanying drawings whereina Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through themachine.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof with ai part of the feed hoppervbroken away and depicting the driveV mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the 'machine immediatelybeyond the drive mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a similar view through thepickling drum into which thearticles are initially conducted.

Fig. 5 is a like vView through the plating drum illustrating thevelectrodes and their mounting. l

Fig. 6 isa detailed section through the driving disks as mounted on oneof the drivev shafts.-

Fig. 7 is a lengthwise section through an imEroved drying drum, and

ig. 8 is a transverse section therethrough.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention, a suitablesupporting structure or frame is provided having spaced Specification ofLetters Patent.

` Patented June s, 192e.

rows of standards 1 formed with shaft bear-` ings 1n -which the shafts 2are journaled, the same being driven through worm gears 3 by atransverse common shaft': deriving lts power from a suitable source ofpower asvtransmitted by the belt and pulley connect1on 5. Fixed on theshafts 2 are alternate pairs of large and small friction disks or wheels6 and The pickling drum 8 is supported between and on the first pair ofwheels 7 on each shaft, being rotated thereby as the shafts are driven;said drum having a pair of perlpheral rims 9 resting on said wheels.Intermediate the rims the drum is radially enlarged to provide apickling chamber which has peripheral perforations 10 whereby thepickling fluid may readily gain entrance to the interior. A supplytrough 11 is supported above the base of Vthe frame between the spaceddrum rims 9 so that the perforated periphery will have its lower arcdis` posed in or passing through the pickling llquid contained therein.From the central perforated portion the drum has lateral conicalextensions supporting the rims and forming the receiving and deliverysides or ends of the drum.

Into the conical extension 12 the articles.

are fed from hopper 14 and from this eX- tensio'n the articles passon'into the pickling chamber through an opening 13 in the partitionwall.

This hopper is supported on the standard bracket 15 and has a lateralescape opening or passage 16 adjacent the drum through which any of thearticles fed into the hopper may escape should it becomev caught orjammed against the drum.

The articles such as screws pass from the hopper to the drum, while thelatter remains at rest or is rotating, and as the drum revolves a cleator pin 17 secured to and extending inwardly from the periphery of thedrum, collects the articles, carries them upwardly and deposits them ina chute 18 inclining outwardly through the conical eX- tension 19 fordischarging intol a washing drum 20.

From the washing drum the articles are fed into a conical extension 21of the plating drumy 22 from which they pass through partition wallopening 23 into the plating chamber which contains the proper coatingsolllltilom such as for electro-plating with mc e loo los

By means of a blade 2li-secured to and extending inwardly from theperiphery of the drum the coated articles arey elevated and againdischarged into the inclined chute 25 which leads to a secondwashing-drum 26 that empties into a drying drum 41,. A

The two washing drums are substantially` alike in construction,consisting of arear- Wardly flaring, perforated casing havingv itsforward end encircled by .an oppositelyl liared skirt 27 and a;collecting shield 28- inclosing the remainder lof the perforated casing.Theskirt l27 is designed to direct all the drippings of the pickling andplating liquids back intotheir respective chambers,

discharging onto the connector 29 and the conical sections 19 and -30 ofthe pickling and plating drums. Aspray pipe 31 enters lthe forward endof each washing drum and discharges downwardly onto the articles as 20they pass over the perforations inclosed by the shield -29 whereby thewashing liquid will pass through the perforations onto the shield. Byreason of its configuration, the liquid is collected at the apex 32which isV '25 perforated to' discharge into a drain pipe l 33'over whichit the drum. y

Peripheral track 34 on the washing drums are supported to run on thelarge drive wheels 6 whereby the drums will be driven ata fast rate ofspeed as compared to the more slowly revolving pickling and platingdrums.

The plating drum is electrically insulated 35 from its drive wheels 7 onwhichthe peripheral tracks or rims 35 operate, byA coating the interiorof the drum with suitable insulating material, or the drum may be madeof wood, as indicated in Fig. 5. The delivery chutes 18 and 25 aresupported on an upstanding bracket 36, and depending from chute 25within the plating chamber is Aa supporting hanger 37 having apendulumlike electrode 38, pendent in the plating solution, and aweighted electrode '39 Constructed to extend laterally above the platingsolution but proximity to the periphery of the drum. This secondelectrode terminates in the passes during rotation of V59', shape of aball and is designed to rest upon *ff-the articles above the liquid andthereby `v-l establish electrical connection with those immersed. Theelectrode 39 is suspended from an insulated part of the hanger 37, 5 5and wires 40 electrically connect to a source .of electrical energy.

Thegdlying drum 4l is also perforated andgequipped with peripheraltracks 4l` operab e` over the supporting drive wheels 60 l7. A spiralconveyer blade 42 is ixed within the drum for slowly advancing thematerial beneath a drying blast issuing downwardly froman axial conduit43. Brieiy setting forth theoperation, the articles'are placed withinthe feed hopper Y ofv j `V'8 --which` `may 'be substituted for 'theiirst- .driimjorarranged on' the machine frame to receive the articlesfrom the said drum 41.

which into the pickling drum where t'ey' are thoroughly cleansedand-.laterwashed'inthe first washing drum :20, from-,whence the articlesfollow into 'the plating I- A Y Y Subsequently to traversing the secondwashing drum the articles-'aredried in'drum 41 or in another typeexemplilied in Figs. 7 and This second type of drier consists of twoconical shells 45 and 46 arranged one within the other and in reversemanner, the' inner shell having its larger end portion formed of wirefabricy 47 constituting a sieve. The articles are fed through pipe 48into the smaller end of the inner shell and therewith is also suppliedan absorbent material, such as saw dust, which absorbs the moisture fromthe articles and later passes through the interstices of screen 47 intothe outer shell whose opposite inclination reconducts the saw dust backlto the feed end where it is again delivered by the fiat spiral wall 49.Obviously, revolving the drum on its peripheral tracks 50 will' effect acontinuous flow of saw dusteirst with the articles and then in a reversedirection, the whole operation being automatic throughout. Y

VThe several steps of washing, coating and are carried on in a single,continuous operation of the machine,.the washing drums being rotatedV ata faster rate of speed than the remaining drums.

. The difference in speed between the drums is accomplished by thedifferent sized wheels on the drive shaft which have frictional contactwith their peripheral tracks.. By reason of this friction drive nodamage or injury will be caused shoulda piece of work in anyV mannerV becaught between two drums. The operation is entirely automatic throughoutrequiring no `attention on the part of the operator except'V in so farasthe supply of pickling and plating solutions may require replenishment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let'- ters Ijatent shm 1. metal coating mac e comprising apickling drum, a washing drum communieating therewith to receive themetal articles therefrom, a coat drum mounted to receive the articles'from the washing drum, a second washing drum for receiving the materialfrom the 'coating drum, and a drying drum into which the second washingdrumdischarges, and a common drive for the drums whereby the articleswill be continuously acted upon from one end of the machine to the otherendin an automatic manner.

2. In a metal coating machine, a pair of Y parallel shafts, a pluralityofindependent 130 dr1ve the respective d porting'the washing be`diameter than those supporting t 4e pickllngl shaft perforated tainer,said saicd washing drum sets `of, wheels fixed-on the shafts'and ingdrum mdependently drums, and wheels mon'drive shaft for the carried bthe shaft for -supporting 'and driving the respective drums, said wheelshavingrelatively different diameters.

4. In a machlne offthenature described,

vspaced shafts, gearing connecting the same for simultaneous rotation,spaced pairs of drive wheels fixed on'. the shafts, the wheels of bothshafts being arranged in coacting pairs,

aI pickling drum, a coating drum, and anY interposed washing drum, allof said drums being rotatably and frictionally supported and driven `bythe wheels, the drive wheels' supporting the washing drum being largerthan lthose support' `the other drums whereby to rotate sald interposeddrum faster. a

- 5. In-a machine of the nature described, spaced' intergeafred shafts,an interposed trough therebetween adapted to contain a 4pickling liquid,a' pickling' drum rotatably supported oft" and between the shafts and.formed with' a \perforated periphery the lower are of which` passesthrough the liquid contained in the trough, and means for removing metalarticles from the drum by and durinlg rotation thereof.

L 6. n a machine ofthe nature described, spaced shafts intergearedtorotate synchronously, an interposed containerfor pickling a picklingdrum having spaced periphera tracks supporting the drum Oifthe sandconstituting a frictional drive therefor, said tracks straddling the4container, and said drum having a peipherally portion extending into thecontainer, and a washing drum/ into which the chute discharges. Y

7. In a machine of the nature described`, 'spaced' intergeared shafts,

an interposed con'- `tainer for pickling li uid,'a ickl' havingperipheral trac stra t e condrum having. its lower arc extending [intothe container,- a wash' drum into which -the pickling drum disc arges, dhaving peripheral tracks an supporting the tracksso as to frictionallysaid'wheels supl8. Ina machineof the nature descril-)ei'lv the drum Y oflarger a rotatably supported drum adapted to contain a cleans' g liquidfor cleaning the articles placed therein, a trough leading therefrom todischarge the material from the a washing drum of conical sha into whichthe material is discharged, saidpiivashing drum comprising a perforatedcasing having an encircling oppositely flaring skirt about its smallerend to direct the draining liquid from the-material back into the firstdrum, and a collectin sheath inclosing an adjacent portion of t eperforated casing, an a spray pipe arranged within the washporinclosedby the sheath tion of the casing may-receive the drainage terial as itis delivered from the first means and means for electro-plating the'material comprising a drum containin a coating solution, a swingingelectrode epending into the coating also swingingly mounted but disposedabove with and'to engage the material as it emerges from the solutlon, v

10. In a machine 'of the nature described, a 'rotatably Imounted drum'containing a plating solution, a blade extending vinwardly from itsperiphery of the drum to carry the material being treated to the -upperportion of the drum and discharge the same, a trough into which thematerial is discharged for delivering same from the drum, a brac etsupport depending from the trough into the drum and aving an insulatedpart, va pendulum like electrode extending from the support down intothe plating solution, and a second electrode supported by the insulatedpart and extending toward the periphery'of the drum but free of thesolution.

11. In a coating machine,

Va coatingdrum, and an interposed washing drum receiving from the' firstdrum and delivering to' the second drum, and vmeans for rotating thewashing first and ,secondh drums.

12..' a coating machine,

a coa ing drum, drum receiving liverl -means or supporting and drivingthe drums at relativelydiferentspeeds. A.

In'testimony whereof AI havegsigned my name to this specification inthe' presence of twoA subscribing witnesses.. l CHARLES W. EDDY..Witnmem I ADA E. HAGEBTY,

J. A. Mum..

a. cleansing bath, means for washing the ma-- solution, anda secondelectrode a picking drum,

drum faster than thefor dlscharglng a washing spray onto the material asit moves over that solution so as not to become coated there-

